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Alzheimer’s disease

The Clinical Dementia Rating scale is useful but caution is needed

Nature Aging volume 4, pages 1522–1523 (2024)Cite this article

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The Clinical Dementia Rating scale has been used in clinical research for decades. The Vargas-Gonzales study raises concerns about the subjective nature of the instrument by indicating that sex, the relationship of the informant to the participant, and the ethnicity of the participant can influence ratings, which is particularly relevant in an era of increasing inclusivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA

    Ronald C. Petersen

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  1. Ronald C. Petersen
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Correspondence to Ronald C. Petersen.

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Competing interests

R.C.P. is a consultant for Roche, Inc., Genentech, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Eisai, Inc., and Novo Nordisk, Inc. He receives royalties from Oxford University and UpToDate. He has provided educational support for Medscape.

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Petersen, R.C. The Clinical Dementia Rating scale is useful but caution is needed. Nat Aging 4, 1522–1523 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00742-9

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